This invention relates to wearable electronic devices and smart garments, and more specifically to a smart garment system that allows electronic devices to be secured to the garment at different garment locations.
In the recent past a host of new developments involving electronic devices that are secured to garments have spawned a family of descriptive phrases intended to describe this new relationship between electronic devices and the clothing. Some of these phrases include such terms as xe2x80x9cintelligent clothingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmart fabricsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmart garmentsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmart clothingxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cwearable computers subsystemsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cwearable computersxe2x80x9d. There are those who have suggested that the entire field is best described as xe2x80x9cfashion technologyxe2x80x9d. The imagination of writers for popular publications is filled with suggestions of what the future will hold for wearable electronic devices. For example, it has been suggested that jackets could be designed that would incorporate a cell phone and a Sony MP3 music player into its lining, along with earphones and a microphone in a collar. Still others put forward the idea of producing a mobile phone that can be incorporated into a jacket button. For some time now individuals that wanted to carry on their person a computer or other electronic device, simply would fashion a vest or belt on to which would be sewn physical structures that allow the devices to be attached mechanically to the vest or belt. Wiring interconnecting the devices would be sewn into the lining of the vest or belt material.
It is important to recognize that these suggestions for Integrating technology and fashion are simply suggestions that do not include practical means and mechanisms that will allow the ideas contained in the suggestions to become practical realities.
Generally the present invention is directed to a practical as well as advantageous smart garment system that includes a passive communication system within the garment. The passive communication system provides the garment with circuitry for coupling multiple locations in the garment where electronic devices may be attached. Some of these locations include pockets in the garment as well as fastening buttons or zipper fasteners. The buttons may also be decorative and function as a mechanism for securing electronic devices to the garment.
Snap button connectors are provided that have a first portion separable from a mating second portion. Each garment location includes a second portion of a snap button connector and an information transmitting/receiving unit is connected to a first portion of a snap button connector. The second portion of the snap button connector at each location is simultaneously secured to the fabric of the garment and coupled to the communications system for delivery of information from a transmitting/receiving unit via mating first and second portion of a snap button connector and the passive communications system to another unit secured to the communication system by a snap button connector at another garment location.
The passive communications system includes a controller in signal communication with the second portion of a snap button connector at each of the different locations on the garment and each one of the pair of information transmitting units are connectable to anyone of the second portions of the snap button connectors.
The controller senses when a pair of information transmitting/receiving units are simultaneously coupled via a snap button connector at different locations to the passive communication system. The controller then provides a signal path between the units for the simultaneous connection of the units to each other.
In the smart garment system the first portion of the snap button connector may also be secured to the fabric such that when the first and second portions are in mating engagement, the fabric secured to the first and second portions are physically coupled via the first and second portion of the snap button connector.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the first portion of the snap button connector is of a female type and is comprised of a planar first pole element separated by a layer of insulation from a second planar pole element. The layer of insulation and second planar pole element each have an opening there through coincident with each other to provide access to the planar first pole element and thereby create a female type connector.
The second portion of the snap button connector is of the male type and is comprised of a vertically disposed first pole element integral with a planar base. A collar of insulation surrounds the perpendicular first pole element. The planar base of the vertical first pole element is separated by a layer of insulation from a second planar pole element. The layer of insulation and second planar pole element each have an opening there through coincident with each other to thereby allow the vertically disposed first pole element and surrounding collar of insulation to pass through the opening in the layer of insulation and the second planar pole element and then beyond the second planar pole element to thereby create a male-type connector.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the planar first pole element, layer of insulation and second planar pole element each have an overall shape of a disk. In a similar manner the planar base of the first pole element, the layer of insulation and the second planar pole element, each have an overall shape of a disk. And furthermore the disk shaped first pole element may be provided with a decorative layer of material that generally matches the external appearance of other garment buttons elsewhere on the garment.
According to the present invention a method of establishing communication between wearable electronic devices coupled to a smart garment communication system is provided where the smart garment includes a plurality of garment locations at which locations communication system connectors allow any two electronic devices at any two locations to be coupled to the system and interconnected via the system The method entails steps of first sensing which communications systems connectors have electronic devices coupled thereto, and then providing a circuit path via the communications system to interconnect the electronic devices.
A primary advantage/objective of this invention resides in providing on a smart garment multiple garment locations at which locations pairs of electronic devices may be secured to the garment and coupled to each other by a communications system integrated into the fabric of the garment.
Another advantage/objective of this invention resides in the provision of a smart garment system that includes a communications system in the fabric of the garment that passively senses when a pair of electronic devices is connected to the garment""s communications system and provides a signal communication path between the devices.
Yet another advantage/objective of the invention resides in the provision of a snap button connector that may be employed with a smart garment to connect electronic devices to a communication system integrated in the garment.
Still yet another advantage/objective of the invention resides in the provision of a snap button circuit connector that will have a decorative appearance that matches other fabric fasteners on a smart garment.
A further advantage/objective of the invention resides in a method of sensing when a smart garment""s communications connectors have electronic devices coupled thereto and then providing a circuit path via a communications system to interconnect the electronic devices.
Another advantage/objective of the invention resides in integration of a communications system in the fabric of a smart garment such that the garment may be laundered in a conventional manner.
A more specific advantage/objective of the invention resides in the provision of a smart garment that may easily store a mobile phone in any of a number of open or closed pocket locations on the garment while simultaneously allowing a headset for the mobile phone to be connected to the phone at another location on the garment such as a collar or lapel.